Category Archives: Shoulder

The shoulder is a complex joint that facilitates the movement of the arm . Without this crucial joint, the most basic movements of the arm and hand would be impossible.

Think about the mobility that the shoulder affords the arm and hand. Although it is crucial for our daily activities, this movement often comes with a price as we age. Over time the shoulder joint can wear down causing increasing pain.

Due to the complexity of the joint, there are many categories that shoulder injuries fall under:

Fractures

Instability

Arthritis

Soft tissue inflammation and tears

Fractures

Shoulder fractures usually consist of a complete or partial break of the collarbone (clavicle), upper arm bone (humerus), and the shoulder blade (scapula). This type of injury can range from minor to severe depending on how the injury was suffered. Shoulder fractures are accompanied by severe pain, swelling, bruising, and decreased mobility.

The most common causes of these fractures are car accidents, contact sports injuries, and falls. While the treatment of the injury depends on the severity and patient type, the most common treatment is a sling, worn for 8 weeks. However, surgery may be required in more severe cases. In all cases extensive Physical Therapy is needed after healing to regain strength and mobility.

Instability

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, putting it at high risk for instability. This phenomenon occurs when the upper arm bone comes out of the shoulder socket. Once this happens the shoulder may “catch” or become completely dislocated. Instability in younger patients can be a huge problem that creates recurrent issues if the problem is not addressed properly. As the ligaments around the shoulder have been torn during the dislocation, instability can persist if the ligaments do not heal. Recurrent dislocations can occur, causing pain and ultimately arthritis.

Shoulder instability usually happens as a result of a specific sports injury or trauma. There is very little possibly that it will occur without a specific injury. Treatment usually involves the wearing of a sling and extensive physical therapy. However, if the muscles are not strengthened, and dislocation continues, surgical stabilization may be necessary. New minimally invasive arthroscopic shoulder surgery can fix the problem quickly with a shorter recovery period.

Arthritis

The most common type of shoulder arthritis is osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis comes from extreme wear and tear and/or age. At the onset of shoulder arthritis, people try to minimize the pain by using the shoulder less. Although this decreases the pain, immobility for too long leads to tightening of the joint resulting in even more pain.

Osteoarthritis is extremely common, and is often the result of genetics or family history. Sports or work injuries and/or chronic wear and tear are also common causes. Previous shoulder injuries, like rotator cuff tears, and multiple dislocations can cause painful shoulder arthritis as well.

So, how do you relieve this pain? Most effective pain management comes from lifestyle changes, range-of-motion exercises, physical therapy, and rest. Your doctor may also prescribe some pain reduction medications like ibuprofen. Only in the most extreme cases will you be advised to have joint replacement. If you do require joint replacement, make sure to talk to your doctor about minimally invasive shoulder replacement.

Tendon inflammation and tears

Tendon injuries and tears of the shoulder are extremely common. Overuse can easily cause tendonitis or bursitis; both of which inhibit shoulder mobility and cause extreme pain.

Although there are many tendons in the shoulder, the most commonly injured are the rotator cuff tendons and or the biceps tendon. Rotator cuff strains or partial tears may progress to get worse due to aging blood supply and or impingement. Impingement is usually due to bone spurs pinching the tendon during motion.

The best way to prevent an inflamed shoulder Tendon from tearing is rest. Avoiding activity will allow the tendons to heal, reducing the risk of a tear. Anti-inflammatory medications or injections may be prescribed along with rest and physical therapy. However, if these measures do not work, the Tendons can tear. Once this happens, Therapy is less successful and surgery may be advised.

Nobody wants to suffer from shoulder pain. So, if you find yourself suffering from any one of these shoulder injuries come see Dr. Stickney. He will provide you with the best treatment, tailored specifically to your injury and condition. Don’t wait, come see Dr. Stickney and get back to your normal routine faster.

Most people think joint problems are limited to serious athletes or older adults. But when it comes to the shoulder, everyone is at risk.

Between the ages of 18 and 88, almost everyone will experience some kind of shoulder issue, according to Gregory Nicholson, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder surgery at Rush University Medical Center.

In fact, shoulders are the most commonly injured joints in the body. The unique and complex anatomy of the shoulder makes it …

The first piece of good news is tha shoulder pain, like most other sports-related injuries, rarely requires surgery. Now that we are hopeful that surgery will not likely be required, what can we do to alleviate the shoulder pain and prevent it from coming back?

Before discussing treatments for shoulder pain, a basic understanding of the anatomy of the shoulder may be helpful. The shoulder is a complex joint. There are three bones and two joints that contribute to shoulder function– the humerus, clavicle, and scapula are the bones. The ball and socket joint of the shoulder is between the humerus and the scapula. The acromial clavicular joint between the scapula and clavicle moves with forward elevation of the arm and helps stabilize the shoulder on the chest wall. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and because of this it is easily injured.

Causes of Rotator Cuff Injuries

The shoulder joint is often injured in the throwing sports, such as baseball, because it has a greater range of movement than any other joint in the body. Shoulder muscles and ligaments bare a tremendous amount of stress throughout the throwing motion.

When you raise your arm up above your head, as occurs during the cocking and acceleration phases of the pitching motion, the rotator cuff muscles can be pinched under the acromion, causing irritation and occasionally sharp pain felt on the front or top of the shoulder. This situation is referred to as “shoulder impingement’ or “impingement syndrome”.

Deceleration

A good throwing technique requires the athlete to use his body weight and the large muscle groups of the legs, back and trunk to generate kinetic energy across the shoulder in the direction of the thrown object. After the ball is released, the retained energy in the throwing arm needs to be dissipated back to the large muscles which then absorb it. Stated more simply, after a ball is thrown, the arm must decelerate. The large muscles of the back and trunk, as well as the triceps and the rotator cuff all assist in deceleration of the arm. A tremendous amount of stress can be placed on the rotator cuff muscles as they assist in decelerating the arm after the ball is released. This is particularly true in pitchers who don’t follow through all the way. By not following through, deceleration must occur abruptly, increasing the amount of stress that is placed on the smaller and more easily injured rotator cuff muscles.

Biomechanics

As stated above, when a pitcher has poor biomechanics, undue stress can be placed on the soft tissue structures of the shoulder. Different biomechanical flaws place stress on different structures. Volumes have been written on the subject. What is important to remember here is that pitchers with poor throwing biomechanics place undue stress on the smaller rotator cuff muscles, compared to the stronger muscles of the back and trunk. Ensuring that an athlete learns proper throwing technique is a worthy investment in the health of their arm.

Overuse

Overuse is the most common source of throwing related injuries. Most importantly, it is avoidable. Paying close attention to pitch counts and giving athletes ample rest is the best way to prevent overuse injuries. It is important that athletes are allowed to come out of a game at the first sign of shoulder discomfort or soreness, even if it is not convenient to the goal of winning the game that day.

Myofascial Release – When muscle tissue is injured, scar is formed. Scar formation (also called myofascial adhesion) is the body’s way of patching an injured area. The problem with scar is that it is tough and fibrous, whereas healthy muscle is supple and elastic, like a rubber band. Myofascial Release Techniqueis used to break up scar formation and restore the muscle’s elasticity, or rubberband-like characteristics. Once the rotator cuff muscles are painfree and myofascial adhesions are broken, therapeutic exercises are essential to a complete recovery. It should also be noted that myofascial release technique can increase throwing velocity by optimizing the elasticity of the throwing muscles.

Stretching and Strengthening Exercise – Stretching and strengthening of the rotator cuff is crucial to completing shoulder rehab and remaining pain free. A few simple rotator cuff exercises will strengthen the muscles, resulting in injury resistance and optimal performance. You’ll notice that college and major league pitchers perform rotator cuff exercises on a regular basis, even when they are not injured. This speaks volumes to the importance of a healthy rotator cuff in pitchers, as well as other athletes whose sport involves repetitive stress on the shoulder.